Re: '91 740 Wagon with 170K miles

When first starting from a stop (or just prior to coming to a stop) the car makes an annoying whining noise that sounds like a muffled jet engine. My guess is it's coming from the drive train, as you only hear it when the car is in motion at low speeds. Any suggestions on the source of the problem and repair required would be appreciated. Thanks.

From what I've been told a whining noise could be the drive shaft center bearing. If you do replace this bearing consider also doing the bushing which houses it. You should be able to purchase the parts for under $100. Check other posts on this site for details on how to go about the replacement, as this is tricky and could give the inexperienced repairman some trouble. My '89 740 wagon has 240K miles and just got a new bushing and center bearing installed by someone who did it for the first time, and the problem of noise has not yet been corrected, probably due to the mechanic's inexperience. Have not figured out the reason yet, but am working on it. If I discover the cause I will let you know. The vibration has been eliminated, but the noise remains.

Probably your driveshaft center support bearing.